Studio headphones exhibit very unique characteristics and for complex music production, one must have high-end equipment apart from studio-grade headphones. Still, the most important factor in music production is the presence of elite-class monitoring headphones which provide detailed audio without missing a beat. In this article, we will be discussing some of the best studio headphones.

Beyerdynamic is a German company and their products live up to the name of German engineering. Beyerdynamic DT 1770 Pro is among the high-end closed-back headphones, which is not just durable but also very comfortable, thanks to the ultra-soft replaceable ear pads. The headband of the headphones is also very nicely padded, without going overboard.

The sound signature of these headphones is impressively flat, thanks to the Tesla neodymium drivers. This is also one of the major differences between DT-1770 and DT-770. The soundstage of the headphones is not as good as open-back headphones or high-end closed-back headphones, which is why these headphones do not feel very nice when listening to music in general, at least for the paid price. The impedance of these headphones is pretty high which is why you will have to use a high-end headphone-amplifier with these headphones.

Overall, Beyerdynamic DT-1770 Pro is one of the best studio monitor headphones and you should definitely check them out, although they are priced fairly high.

A headphones list without Sennheiser seems incomplete and Sennheiser headphones usually take the top places. Sennheiser HD 600 S is the flagship headset from the 600 series, which provides mind-blowing comfort along with supreme sound quality. The comfort levels of these headphones are among the best we have ever seen in headphones, although you might find the clamping force to be a bit high in the start.

The sound signature of these headphones is quite close to that of the Beyerdynamic DT-1770 Pro, although the open-back design makes them better in terms of the soundstage. The flat frequency response along with the comfort of Sennheiser 600-series makes these headphones dramatic, however, with a high impedance of 300 Ohms, HD 660 S requires a very powerful amplifier to drive them properly.

Overall, Sennheiser HD 660 S is one of the best studio headphones for mixing and if you are looking for studio headphones, this product should be on the top of your consideration list, although make sure that you drive them with high-end amplifiers.

AKG is a famous name in the audio industry and AKG Pro Audio K712 PRO is a solid open-back studio headset. The ear pads of these headphones are quite similar to HD 660 S in terms of skin contact, providing a very comfy experience. The bending of the headset frame is quite aggressive but the adjustable headband is quite comfortable.

The frequency response of the headphones is quite flat, although the sub-bass is a bit under-emphasized. The bass response feels very tight, providing punchy, fast and detailed bass. The mid-tones, on the other hand, are somewhat less clear than the lows and highs. Since these are open-back headphones, the soundstage is considerably wider than other headphones mentioned in the list, in fact, much better than the HD 660 S too. The impedance of these headphones is much lower than the HD 660 S and DT-1770 Pro but the power requirement of these headphones makes them absolutely necessary to use a headphone-amplifier.

Overall, AKG K712 Pro is a pair of supreme sound quality and you should give it a thought if you want a pair of headphones with a great soundstage.

Shure is one of the oldest audio companies, with a lot of products appraised worldwide. Shure SRH1540 is a closed-back headset, with thick, comfy ear pads and good padding on the headband, although the headband’s bending is pretty aggressive in these headphones too. There is an additional pair of ear pads in the accessories, which is quite handy, in case your first pair gets worn after a couple of years.

A prominent feature of these headphones is that the soundstage is surprisingly good for a pair of closed-back headphones and this thing cannot be found in headphones at this price. As for the sound signature is concerned, the bass of these headphones is very prominent than the mid and highs. The sound feels great in terms of clarity and depth, as expected from a pair of headphones by Shure.

Overall, these headphones are much better than other closed-back headphones when it comes to the soundstage and you should definitely consider them if you do not want to compromise on the soundstage.

V-Moda is a company which does not compromise on the build quality and their products are made with military-grade materials. Similar is the case with V-Moda Crossfade M-100 and this is one of the most popular models by V-Moda. With a perfect headband and soft ear pads, the headphones provide great comfort.

One of the best things about these headphones is their noise isolation. They are not active-noise-canceling headphones but they are quite close. The bass of the headphones is very punchy and tight, which is why these might not be the best headphones for critical listening, however, due to this particular characteristic, you can use these headphones for regular music listening.

Overall, V-Moda Crossfade M-100 is one of the best studio headphones if you want to use them for daily use too.

Audio-Technica is among the top companies with tons of high-end products, including microphones and headphones. Audio-Technica ATH-M50x is a mid-range headset which is designed for studio purposes, as it provides a relatively flat frequency response. The design of the headphones makes them quite portable and they can be easily folded. Moreover, you can rotate the ear cups to place them on the table, providing ease of use. The clamping force of these headphones is somewhat uncomfortable but can be broken-in after a few days of usage.

The sound quality of these headphones is although not as good as previously mentioned ones, the frequency response is quite similar, with a slight emphasis on the bass.

Overall, Audio-Technica ATH-M50x is one of the best headphones for recording if you have a low budget, although their comfort levels are not as good as the high-end headphones.

Here we are with another product of Beyerdynamic and this one is quite similar to the previously mentioned DT-1770 Pro, especially when it comes to design and looks. DT-770 Pro is also a closed-back headset but instead of using Tesla neodymium drivers, the headphones use simple neodymium drivers, although the comfort levels of these headphones are quite similar.

The sound signature of these headphones is quite similar to DT-1770 Pro as well, however, the headphones lack the extra detail that you would find in the DT-1770 Pro, due to the absence of Tesla neodymium drivers.

Overall, the price-point of these headphones is very attractive, making them one of the best studio monitor headphones for the price.

Sony MDR-7506 is one of those headsets that are popular all over the world for their cheap price and good performance. The design of these headphones feels really boring when we compare them to the other headphones, with old-looking ear cups and cable, although this style of the cable provides a huge advantage when it comes to length.

The sound signature of these headphones is very revealing, enabling the user to do critical listening and audio analysis. None of the frequency ranges feel over-emphasized, although you should definitely not expect the detail level and soundstage you would find in the high-end headphones.

Overall, Sony MDR-7506 is one of the best-valued studio monitor headphones and you should definitely consider buying it if you are short on budget.

Sennheiser HD280 Pro is a pair of headphones which is targeted towards people in the studios, as it provides accurate sound reproduction along with a transparent sound signature. The comfort levels of this headset are also very good but they are not durable by any means, which is why you should take great care while using them.

Overall, this cheap pair of headphones is a great alternative to the Sony MDR-7506 and will serve you well if you use it moderately.

Mee Professional MX4 Pro is a great alternative to buying over-ear or on-ear headphones and thanks to the Quad-HD drivers, the sound quality is miraculously detailed, although the soundstage is definitely a big step down. These in-ear headphones are not very common when it comes to design and you may find the over-ear cable style to be irritating.

Overall, these in-ear monitors are great for monitoring audio recordings, however, you may feel a bit strange at first.

Buyer’s Guide

Buying a studio headset can be very complex, as there are a lot of detailed characteristics one needs to check in the headphones before finalizing them. That is why we have made a guide to help you buy the best studio headphones possible.

Physical Design

The first thing you need to decide before buying a pair of headphones is that whether you want to go with traditional over-ear/on-ear headphones or want to go with in-ear headphones. A lot of people are now buying high-end in-ear monitors, as they are much more comfortable and do not make the ears warm after using for a while. The sound of the in-ear monitor is not that deep, as expected, with a lot lower soundstage but the detail of audio is quite similar to the over-ear or on-ear headphones, which is why they are a great alternative to them. Therefore, if you want to go all-out, then buying over-ear headphones will be best but if you want to go relatively cheap, you can buy in-ear monitors.

Operating Principle

There are two major operating principles in the headphones namely; open-back and closed-back. By open-back headphones, it is meant that the ear cups of the headphones are not blocked from the outside, thus creating a more natural feeling. This also leads to a wider soundstage, although, the noise isolation and sound leakage are abysmal. On the other hand, closed-back headphones are not only better at noise isolation and sound leakage, but they are also better at handling bass and detail. For studio headphones, one can go with any type of headset, although, a lot of the studio-grade headsets are closed-back.

Frequency Response

The frequency response of the headphones is one of the most important factors when buying headphones for studio purposes. Audio production requires a very accurate sound signature, where none of the frequency ranges from the audible frequency response are emphasized. Therefore, unlike music headphones, studio-grade headphones are required to present a flat frequency response, so that the music engineers can analyze the audio perfectly. That is why studio-grade headphones are called monitors or reference headphones. If you want to use the headphones for other purposes as well, you can buy the reference headphones and then change the sound signature through equalizers, which are easily available in a lot of music players.

Impedance

Impedance is among those factors which do not directly affect the quality of sound, however, dictates the power you must be able to provide to the headphones in order to make them work at full potential. Most of the studio-grade headphones have impedances, higher than fifty Ohms usually, which is why a high-end amplifier is a must. Some of the headphones have impedance above two hundred Ohms and if you will not use headphone amplifier with them, you will suffer from dull sound reproduction which is absolutely intolerable when monitoring the audio. Therefore, if you want to buy studio headphones, make sure that you own a high-end headphone amplifier or at least something that is able to power a pair of headphones with 50-60 Ohms impedance.

Comfort Levels

The comfort levels are important for any kind of product and headphones are no exception. Since studio headphones are worn for long sessions, you should make sure that the headphones you are buying provide comfortable ear pads and headband. Moreover, you should check the clamping force of the headphones and make sure that the headphones are neither too tight to be irritating nor too loose that they fall off easily. Another important thing about the comfort of the headphones is their weight. The weight of the headphones is inversely proportional to the comfort and the lower the weight is, the longer you will be able to wear them without feeling tired.

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HeadphonesLab.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Additionally, HeadphonesLab.com participates in various other affiliate programs, and we sometimes get a commission through purchases made through our links.